United
by Bardiel Angel
Summary: When the gang finds out an Earth Kingdom soldier has been kidnapped and held captive at a festival hosted by the Fire Nation, what will they do? And who is this familiar person they meet? Zutara.
1. A Strange Discovery

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar or any of its characters. I'm just a silly fangirl, with only about two other hobbies…leave me alone…:sniffle:

Special Thanks: When you review my story, your name gets put onto my "Special Thanks" list. This is only for people who have reviewed one or more chapters. I also promise that if you review my story, I will respond back and maybe drop a few hints. OH BOY! Please review, it gives me inspiration to write! Bardiel Angel

A Strange Discovery 

The cool wind brushed against the young waterbender's skin as she tried to sleep. The night was cool and fresh, leaving her with no desire to fall asleep. Her cerulean eyes stared up at the full, white moon that hung so gracefully in the sky. _Oh Yue, if only you were here in person…_

Katara turned over onto her side and was about to fall asleep when a groggy voice re-awoke her senses.

"Hey, Katara? You awake?" Sokka asked, sleepiness pouring over his words.

"Well, I was about to fall asleep." Katara whispered.

"Oh, I'm sorry. What were you looking at?" Concern had spread across his young face. The moonlight that was cast over his shoulder gave him an eerie glow. He looked almost mysterious and spiritual.

"I was just admiring how beautiful Yue is tonight…" Her voice trailed off as she witnessed her brother's reaction to her words. His face grew solemn, and yet it nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, she really is beautiful tonight isn't she?" Katara felt guilt for reminding her brother that the girl he loved was now the moon. She slowly sat up and repositioned herself so that she could hug him. He needed it, and she could tell. As soon as she wrapped her arms around him, he started to cry. It wasn't loud or dramatic. It wasn't a sob or a moan. It was silent, still, and true. Tears rolled down his face as he held onto his sister like a safety net. He didn't want to loose anyone else. He knew that he had to protect her and Aang. It was his duty as a brother, and as a friend.

"Is everything okay?" Aang asked as he sat up. "I heard some noises, so I woke up."

"Nothing's wrong." Katara said. "We were just talking about the moon." She turned and smiled at her brother, who smiled in return. "Let's get some sleep you guys. We have a lot of traveling to do!" The three teens laid down and got settled. Just as everyone was falling asleep Sokka whispered something to Katara.

"Thank you."

The sun shown brightly the next morning as the three travelers walked down a forest road. Even with the trees blocking most of the sunlight, they still had to shield their eyes once in a while.

They finally came across a bulletin post and decided to see how many had their faces on them. This was one of their favorite pastimes. They had come to accept that they were criminals, because they knew that only the Fire Nation thought so. And who cared what they thought?

"Hey guys look at this." Aang said with delight in his voice. Katara took the piece of paper from him and studied it with one hand on her chin.

"A festival! I haven't been to one in forever! Can we go?" Katara's face beamed with excitement. She had always loved festivals, and almost never passed one up. She loved dancing and singing with all of her friends.

"A festival huh? I don't know. It looks suspicious. Besides we should keep a low profile. Parties are dangerous for us to be in. Someone could recognize us."

"Sokka's right. We really shouldn't."

"Oh fine! Be that way!" Katara pouted. Aang looked upset too, he hated it when Katara got upset. He was always fond of her. She was so motherly and kind. She was honest and true, in other words, his ideal woman.

"Besides Katara, look here at the bottom. It says that the festival is hosted by the Fire Nation!"

"Well, I guess it's a good thing we're not going! Thanks for talking me out of it Sokka. A festival hosted by the Fire Nation? What could be worse!"

"I don't think it would be bad at all, as far as parties go." Aang said. "I mean, I would go if it were safe. The Fire Nation really isn't as bad as you guys think. Before this whole war broke out I had a lot of friends from the Fire Nation. They were always kind to me. I think you guys need to meet a firebender who isn't hunting us down." The other two teens looked at him with suspicion. It seemed that whenever they talked about the Fire Nation, he became defensive. Maybe it was just his natural liking of all the nations. Being the Avatar, and controlling all four elements probably helped him to see the good in all nations. Not just his own.

The sky was dark and red in the Fire Nation. The stars glowed brightly as the sun began to set. A girl with fiery red hair stared off into the darkening horizon. Her deep mahogany eyes scanned the distance as if searching for something.

"Hinoiri! Where are you! It's getting dark!" A tall, black-haired girl with scarlet eyes approached the red-haired girl. "He's not going to come. You know that right?" Her stern expression was unwavering. Her eyes seemed to pierce into Hinoiri's soul.

"You're wrong Karasu. He'll come. I know he will. He promised he'd come back."

"He was banished two years ago. There's no way he can return without endangering himself and us. He's smarter than that Hinoiri. I'm not wrong about this. He wouldn't return unless he were captured and dragged here. Now come inside. It's late." Karasu turned and headed back to their Fire Nation village. Her scarlet dress flowed behind her. She didn't look back at Hinoiri.

Hinoiri sighed and decided to pay no heed to her friend's words. _He **is** coming back…I just know it…_

Aang had started to walk a little ahead of the group. Ever since Appa broke two legs trying to stop a landslide, traveling became tough. They often had to walk and drag Appa on a mat at the same time. The only reason he couldn't fly was because he could barely take off, and even when he did, it hurt him to land.

Katara and Sokka were walking side by side while enjoying the soft breeze that fell upon them. Katara sighed as she listened to the singing birds that flew overhead. Sokka looked over at his sister and wondered how she could be pleased so easily.

"Hey Katara?"

"What?"

"Have you ever noticed how defensive Aang is about the Fire Nation?"

The two fell silent. Katara had in fact wondered why he defended the Fire Nation with such passion. At times, she even thought him to be more loyal to the Fire Nation than to the Air Nomads.

"Yeah, I have noticed it. Why do you think that is? I mean, all that the Fire Nation has ever done for us is cause trouble. Those friends that he always talks about must've been some pretty good friends."

"Yeah, really…" Sokka said with a chuckle. Appa groaned as they pulled the mat he was lying on. Aang turned around to see what was wrong.

"I think Appa wants us to rest. Right boy?" Once again Appa groaned and Momo ran up and sat on Aang's arm. "Why don't we set up camp?"

Katara, Sokka, and Aang started a fire and rolled out their sleeping bags in clearing a little ways away from the road. This was just to be safe and away from other travelers who were using the road. As they sat down to eat, they heard a commotion.

"I'll go check it out." Sokka said. Katara and Aang waited patiently for him to return. A few minutes had passed with no sign of Sokka anywhere. Katara was starting to get worried about her silly older brother. It always seemed like he was getting into trouble.

"What do you think is taking him so long?" Katara asked with worry.

"I honestly have no idea." Aang said with his mouth full of food. He was about to make an assumption when Sokka suddenly came through the bushes out of breath.

"Hey guys…" he said between pants, "You better come and hear this. We're needed." Aang and Katara looked at each other with confusion.

The three ran to the main road where they found some earthbenders. They were all talking very intently until the three friends came out of the woods.

"Avatar, we need your help. A nearby Fire Nation village has captured one of our earthbender soldiers. If we don't hurry and get him back, who knows what they could do to him!" Aang thought for a moment while Katara tried to comfort the poor Earth Kingdom captain. Then he looked up at them with a strange expression on his face.

"Hey, Sokka? That festival thing we saw, was it in a nearby village?"

"Yeah I think so, why? Do you think he's there?"

"You bet I do. What better way to keep people away from a prisoner than a festival hosted by the Fire Nation? Only people from the Fire Nation would attend."

"The Avatar makes a very good point!" All of the earthbenders looked at the 12-year-old boy in wonder. They had no idea that he could be so clever at such a young age.

"I guess that settles it! We'll have to attend that festival. I don't want to cause a commotion though. We'll need some disguises. Could you guys possibly get some Fire Nation outfits for the three of us?"

"That we can do!" The earthbenders exclaimed.

A few hours later Katara, Aang, and Sokka were all dressed in traditional Fire Nation garb.

"I hate this stuff!"

"Stop complaining Sokka! Be thankful that we even have these!"

"Come on guys it's just up ahead."

As they became closer and closer to their destination, they heard music. They finally pushed away some brush and saw the Fire Nation village right before them! Lanterns and kites hung in the air. Belly dancers with ribbons and shimmering bangles danced to loud and strange music that the three weren't accustomed to. There were fireworks and vendors too.

"Wow, look at this place…" Katara said with wonder.

"Pretty amazing isn't it?" Aang said enthusiastically. "I remember when I went to my first Fire Nation festival. It was so much fun that I didn't want to leave!"

"I think you guys are crazy this doesn't look fun at all! It looks totally and completely annoying if you ask me!"

Katara and Aang just rolled their eyes as Sokka continued to complain about the Fire Nation. As Katara searched the crowd she noticed someone that looked very familiar…

Mwahahahaaaaa! Cliffhangers are my favorites! Please review! I really can't express it enough you know. I really love hearing from you guys. Everyone who has reviewed to me on my other story has been so supportive! My next chapter is coming up soon, so be on the look out! Bardiel Angel


	2. The Festival

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar or any of its characters…oh well.

Also, in this chapter some people will be speaking a different language, however I made this language up. It may sound or look Japanese, but it is not.

Special Thanks:

-Dolphin Water

-crazed inuyashafan girl

-fragile246

-DemonDaughter

-lilbunnybo

The Festival

"Who is he?" Katara asked. His facial features seemed familiar, but she was positive that she'd never seen him before in her life. Sokka and Aang turned to look at her.

"I have no idea." Aang said.

"And I certainly have no idea either. Are you sure you're okay Katara?" Katara looked at her brother, and then up at the sky. Maybe she was just acting funny. The only people she'd ever met from the Fire Nation were Zuko, Iroh, Zhao, and Azula. But the more she looked at him, the more she was certain she knew him. He wasn't very tall or old at all. He was only about 13 years old at the oldest, not much older than Aang. He had a full head of black hair that was pulled into a loose, low-hanging ponytail. His eyes were a dark red and he seemed to be laughing quite a lot with some friends.

"Alright guys, since I've been to the Fire Nation before, I know their customs. Just do what I do okay?" Katara and Sokka nodded at Aang.

"Hey wait Aang, the last time you were in the Fire Nation was over 100 years ago. Are you sure that their customs and traditions are the same?" Aang looked at Sokka and smiled.

"Well Sokka, before I made friends in the Fire Nation, they had had the same traditions that were used by their ancestors from about 2,000 years before! I don't think that they've changed anything. They're too proud of their culture to ever change it. So don't worry. Are you guys ready?" Katara and Sokka gulped down the lumps in their throats.

"Ready." They said simultaneously.

They cleared away the bushes and entered the festival. Luckily for Sokka and Katara it had been very sunny all week, so almost everyone had a tan. Aang decided to split from Katara and Sokka in order to find the whereabouts of the hostage quicker. Aang told them to simply "Be polite, and laugh at all their jokes." Even with this knowledge, they were still wary and avoided everyone at every cost.

Katara linked arms with Sokka to appear that they were a couple in order to keep all of the whistling, staring, and drooling boys at bay. Sokka only laughed and said, "That's what you get for looking like mom!" Katara glared at him and hugged his arm closer so that they wouldn't be separated in the crowd. Just as Katara was about to start daydreaming the familiar boy ran past her.

"Hey Sokka, why don't we follow him? I was serious when I said that I'd seen him before."

"Fine, just as long as you stop pestering me about it!" With that hey followed the boy through the crowd until he stopped at a large gathering of people in a circle. A high-spirited and lovely melody was being played and everyone was clapping and laughing at what was happening in the middle of the circle.

"I can't see!" Sokka started yelling.

"Shut up Sokka! Honestly!"

Once they worked their way towards the center, they saw something they didn't expect to see. "Oh my god…Sokka, is that who I think it is?" All that Sokka could do in response was nod his head. He too was bewildered and amazed by the spectacle before him.

"Could that really be Prince Zuko?" There he was, the infamous banished Prince. Only this time, he was dancing with the most adorable little girl in the entire world. Her eyes were wide and bright with youth and happiness, with a smile to match. She was giggling uncontrollably as she twirled and glided with the Prince. It was an odd sight to say the least. Especially because he was laughing hysterically too!

"I've never seen him like this Sokka. It's strange. He actually looks happy!"

"I'm surprised that he's human enough to laugh!"

Once the song ended, the crowd clapped their approval at the cute couple. Then Zuko promptly scooped her up in his arms and kissed her on the forehead. He whispered something in her ear while grinning, which she responded to with a laugh. The familiar boy then walked up to them and started talking to Zuko. As Katara watched them more and more she finally realized something.

"Oh my god Sokka! I know why I thought I saw him before! Look!" Sokka looked over at him, and then at Zuko. He noticed that they had very similar features. They even laughed the same way, and had the same mannerisms. Katara looked over at Sokka. "Do you think they're related?"

"It's a possibility I guess."

"HI GUYS!"

"Oh…hi Aang. I finally found you guys. Is that Zuko over there?"

"Yeah, he was dancing with that little girl over there. Too bad you missed it, it was pretty funny." Suddenly Aang felt someone tap his shoulder. Aang turned only to find Zuko's face staring back at his.

"Excuse me stranger, have we met before? I don't recall ever seeing you in this village before, but I feel like we've met before. Where are you from?" Aang started to sweat bullets. He pulled his red hood a little further onto his forehead so as not to expose his markings. Katara started fiddling with her now untied hair. Sokka did the same. The last thing they needed was Zuko to recognize them.

"I don't think we've met, sorry. You're right though. I'm from a village further north. Is there a problem?"

"Oh no, not at all. I'm sorry for sounding that way. I'm Prince Zuko, and you three are…" He held out his hand for Aang to shake. Aang shook it reluctantly.

"My name is Ashenji. I am a sage. These are my friends Zynda and Zopher." Zuko smiled warmly and extended his hand to them as well. Sokka shook his hand, but when Katara went to shake his, he took her hand and lightly kissed the top. Katara lightly blushed at the gesture from shear surprise. She was dumbfounded by the Prince's kindness at this festival.

The little girl, who he was still supporting with his hip, tugged on his shirtsleeve. Her reddish brown locks fell in front of her face as she turned away from Aang, Sokka, and Katara.

"I'm sorry." Zuko said politely. "She's a little shy. Her name is Nani." Katara smiled at how cute her shyness was. It was just a minute ago that she was dancing without a care, and now here she was hiding her face on Zuko's shoulder.

"Nasoshi ishta. Nakogey yo. Tobarawu, se some. Te shitama kogage mo tet disho. Su rawalla. Teme to ba?" Katara, Sokka, and Aang looked at the little girl strangely. _What did she just say?_ Zuko noticed the uncomfortable looks on their faces. "Is there something wrong?" Zuko asked.

"Yeah, what did she just say?"

"Excuse me?" Zuko was confused. These people looked like they were from the Fire Nation, but they didn't speak the Fire Nation's native language. This had never happened to him before. _Doesn't everyone know our language in this nation?_

"Sorry, but where did you say you three were from?" Aang, Sokka, and Katara were worried. He was definitely suspicious. They started to wish that they learned some phrases in this language.

"Uuuuhhh, we're from Todashi village. It's very far north…almost on the border. Fire Nation traditions aren't as strongly pressed in our region. That's why we don't know the language." Zuko scratched his head. It made sense, but there was something off about their story.

"If it's so far north, then what are you all doing in the south?" Aang looked at Katara and Sokka for help.

"We're visiting some relatives, but when we saw the sign we decided to see this festival first." Katara said smiling. _Wow, she's pretty…I wonder how old she is…_

Suddenly the familiar boy came up and tapped Zuko's shoulder. "Hey, Uncle Iroh says that it's time for Nani to go to bed. Hey, who are your friends?"

"Oh sorry, this is Ashenji, Zynda, and Zopher. They're visiting some relatives near here. Ashenji, Zynda, Zopher, this is my younger brother Jayzen." Jayzen held out his hand for all of them to shake. He didn't kiss Katara's hand, which she thought was strange. _I thought all Fire Nation boys did that._

"Now, if you'll all excuse me, I have to put this one to bed." He bowed and turned, but just as he was about to walk away he stopped. "Actually, if you three would like some company while you travel, my brother, uncle, Nani, and I would be more than happy to escort you." They all looked at each other.

"Huddle!" They huddled together at Sokka's command. "What do we do!"

"I don't know, Aang you know about Fire Nation stuff better than we do. What's the plan?"

"Well, in the Fire Nation it's rude to turn down an offer like this. If we say no, they'll be really insulted and want to fight one of us. If we fight him, it might reveal who we are. I think we should just say yes and leave early in the morning before he gets up."

"Sounds good to me." They all turned around. "We'd love for all of you to join us!" Zuko smiled broadly.

"It's settled then! We'll leave first thing in the morning." They bowed to each other and Zuko, Jayzen, and Nani left. As soon as they were out of sight Aang turned to Sokka and Katara.

"Now to look for that soldier…"

oooooooooooooooooooooo

As the festival started to wind down and everyone went home, the three continued their search.

"Now, if I were an Earth Kingdom soldier, where would I be?" They looked up and down the village. There was no soldier or prison in sight.

"Wait a minute. If the Fire Nation is trying to make this person really hard to find, then they'd put him in an unobvious spot right?"

"Right…"

"So, where is an unobvious spot?" The three sat and thought when all of the sudden Sokka started grinning.

"Sokka, you okay? You look really creepy all of the sudden."

"I figured it out! Those conniving little bastards! I bet they put him in a temple, a holy place. Somewhere sacred that we can't attack!" Aang and Katara stared at Sokka. _Since when did he get smart?_

The three found a temple at the top of a hill in the village. They opened the large doors and stepped inside. There were high ceilings and carvings on the walls. All of the pictures depicted a point in history of the Fire Nation. Most of them showed the people being enslaved or killed by powerful rulers. Then there were carvings of what appeared to be a beautiful goddess. Her hair was flowing wildly and her body was entwined with a dragon. Its scales glowed from the eerie glow that the torches cast upon it. The hallways were dark, dreary, and long. They finally approached another set of large doors and opened them. They creaked mysteriously as they opened.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Another cliffhanger! I win! Don't worry, more M rated stuff and Zutara stuff in next chapter. This chapter was mostly foreshadowing. I like to take things slowly. I believe that they're better that way! REVIEW!


	3. Friend or Foe?

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar or any of its characters…oh well.

P.S. I'm really glad to be back. My computer is up and running. I also vowed to make up all the lost time and give you guys some Zutara action in this one. Not too intense, but enough to satisfy. Mostly just getting used to each other and thinking about it. WOOT!

Also, in these chapters some people will be speaking a different language, however I made this language up. It may sound or look Japanese, but it is not. I promise. I'm not that crazy.

Special Thanks:

-Dolphin Water

-crazed inuyashafan girl

-fragile246

-DemonDaughter

-lilbunnybo

-wolfhorse

-SarahE7191

Friend or Foe?

As they opened the large, hand-carved doors all went silent. Inside was a large room intended for prayer and worship of the Sun God and Fire Goddess. There was a stately altar in the back featuring huge carved statues of the famous spirits of the Fire Nation. Dragons entwined and twisted around the room's ceiling and two people were at the altar praying. The torches inside made everything glow with a surreal and supernatural essence. Surprisingly enough, the torches did little to light the room. Instead, they just cast more shadows.

Aang, Katara, and Sokka walked in cautiously so as not to disturb the two people. If there's one thing Aang learned about the Fire Nation, it's that you never disturb anyone while they're praying. Just as they started to come closer, the two people turned around to face them. One had firey red hair and amber brown eyes. She seemed very welcoming and motherly in a way. The other had much harsher features. Her raven-black hair and scarlet eyes were piercing and somewhat cruel.

"What the hell are you three doing in here? It's off limits right now. Everyone in the village was told to stay away. Beat it!" Aang was taken back by the black-haired girl's brash words. But snapped back himself.

"If it's off limits, then why are you two here in the first place?" Aang grinned knowing he had her in a tough spot.

"We were assigned to watch over the temple in case any earthbending soldiers came looking for this guy." She pointed over to an earthbending soldier who appeared to be badly wounded.

"What are you going to do with him!" Sokka yelled at the raven-haired girl.

"It's also our duty to take care of him you know! You think we're going to torture him or something! What do you take us for! We're helping him!"

Everyone was silent. Tension filled the air with a thick and musty scent. It was driving Aang mad, but just as he was about to speak, she continued.

"Where are you three from anyway. I've lived in this village my whole life and I've never seen your faces before. Who are you?"

Aang, Katara, and Sokka eyed each other nervously. "Our names are Ashenji, Zynda, and Zopher. We're from a northern village close to the border of the Earth Kingdom. We were on our way to visit a relative and decided to pray for a safe journey before departing this village. Okay?" Katara replied with a hint of danger in her voice. Her eyes caught with the dark-haired girl's and they started glaring daggers at one another.

Sokka sensed the death in their stares and prayed to whatever spirits were watching that his sister wouldn't waterbend. If she did, it would be their death sentence.

"Karasu! What in Agni's name do you think you're doing!" The three teenagers whirled around to see Zuko standing in the doorway, hands placed firmly on his hips and eyes blazing. The two Fire Nation girls got up and approached him.

"We were justing asking them who they were and what their business was. That's all."

"I don't care if that's what you're doing!" Zuko shouted. "They are MY honored guests. Uncle Iroh and I are escorting them to their relative's house tomorrow morning. They had no idea that the temple was off limits. Honestly Karasu. Even if they're strangers you should still treat them well. You can't just keep yelling at everyone around here!" Zuko sighed and rubbed his head.

Katara was speechless. Prince Zuko was defending them. This whole day seemed like a strange dream to her. Prince Zuko had been nothing less than charming the whole day and the Fire Nation people were helping an earthbending soldier. She wondered if she was going to wake up soon and everything would turn back to normal. Fire Nation people would become the brunt of every joke and Prince Zuko would hate them again. Although now that she was seeing this, she realized that she didn't want to wake up. This dream was really...refreshing. It was nice to see Prince Zuko acting like the handsome Prince charming he was supposed to be.

Zuko's shouting awoke her from her daydream. "Karasu! I demand that you apologize to these people now!" Karasu bit her bottom lip.

"Why should I listen to you! It's not like you're a prince anymore!" As soon as the words escaped her mouth her eyes widened and she covered her mouth. She knew she crossed forbidden territory with that remark. "Z...Zuko, I'm sorry. It just slipped out. I didn't mean to-"

"Stop it. You're just making it worse." Zuko's head was bowed down. His eyes couldn't be seen from the shadow that was cast on his face. "Get out."

"But...Zuko."

"I SAID GET OUT!" Fire erupted from his mouth and steam came out of his nostrils. His eyes blazed with a dangerous heat. Karasu stood up and bowed to Aang, Katara, and Sokka muttering a simple "sorry" and "good bye." Then she quickly gathered up her things and walked out of the temple.

Zuko's eyes soon calmed and his composure returned. He slowly walked towards the red-haired girl who gave him a strange look. "I did it again, didn't I?" He said.

"You sure as hell did." She said angrily. "Why do you always yell at her like that. She values your opinion more than anyone else's I know. And you just blow up in her face."

"She shouldn't have said that to me then."

"You may be right, but you could have handled that better don't you think? You better patch things up with her immediately or she won't forgive you. She's stubborn you know."

"I know!" Zuko said in almost a whisper. "She and I are just too much alike I guess. That's why we fight all the time."

"Yes Zuko, you two are a lot alike, but that's not why you fight. It's because you hate yourself that you fight."

Aang, Katara, and Sokka froze. They had never thought of it that way. They had always assumed that people who fought were too much like each other to get along, but maybe there's more to it than that. Maybe this red-haired girl was right. Maybe Zuko just didn't like himself. Katara didn't want to think of Zuko as a person with feelings. If she did that, then she would have to have sympathy for him. He was her enemy. She would have to remember that soon or she would become really confused, really fast.

Zuko just nodded his head and said he was going to find Karasu to apologize. With that he abruptly left the temple. The red-haired girl let out a sigh.

"Sorry about that. Those two are just hot-headed sometimes. Everything will be alright though. They always work things out between themselves. My name is Hinoiri. It's a pleasure to meet you." She gracefully bowed before them as was common in the Fire Nation. "Is there anything I can do for you three?"

"No, I think we're okay."

"Very well then. I'll just leave you three to pray now. Good night." She bowed once more and left the temple. The three teens looked at each other and smiled.

"JACK-POT!" They shouted.

"Who would have thought that Fire Nationers were so stupid that they'd just leave their prisoner unattended!" Sokka shouted.

"Yeah seriously!" Katara laughed.

"Um guys." Sokka and Katara turned to face Aang. "What if it's a trap. This is way to easy." Sokka and Katara eyed each other and thought about it.

"I mean, Fire Nation people aren't stupid right?"

"You're certainly right."

All three teenagers gasped as they saw General Iroh enter the room. "But maybe if you three stopped to think about it, you might realize that there isn't a trap. There isn't a single Fire Nation soldier in this entire village. Did you three consider that the villagers might have just found a wounded soldier and nursed him back to health in the most quiet and solitary place they could think of?"

"Wait, you know who we are don't you..."

"Of course I do. I'm not as stupid as Zuko." They chuckled at his joke. "I've seen you three too many times to not be able to recognize you. I knew it was you right away."

"Well, then how can we trust you! You've been chasing us down. Why should we listen to your advice?" Sokka yelled.

"You know, I hadn't thought of that." He started to laugh hysterically at his own mistake. "I guess I should have taken that into consideration too. But know this Avatar. Zuko and I are not your enemy. My brother and niece are the real enemies. We have been trying to chase you down to keep you away from them. We have a common enemy." With that, he left.

Aang, and Sokka picked up the soldier and carried him out as Katara followed behind. They made their way through the village and out into the dense forest.

Zuko's eyes watched them carefully as they left with the soldier. "It's about time they took him out of here."

"What do you want us to do Zuko?" Karazu asked softly.

"Follow them. Make sure that Azula doesn't spot them. Hinoiri, go with her." Hinoiri and Karasu bowed and left.

"What should I do brother?" Jayzen asked.

"Stay with me. We have some important business to attend to." Zuko then bent down and kissed Nani on the forehead.

"Good bye, Nani."

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Oh boy important business? READ AND REVIEW! YOU KNOW THE DRILL!


	4. Followed

Disclaimer: Hey hey hey! I don't own AVATAR!

P.S. I'm thinking of putting some Taang into this story. That's Toph and Aang in case you have no idea what I'm talking about. Tell me what you think. Don't worry though. There will be a lot of Zutara to come!

Special Thanks:

-Dolphin Water-Arya's Moon-Toph's Sun

-crazed inuyashafan girl-firenation and love

-fragile246-aki-O.o

-DemonDaughter-Tahsara

-lilbunnybo

-wolfhorse

-SarahE7191

Author's Note: If any of you think my story sucks please tell me why. If I know what's wrong...I can hopefully fix it. If you're just being mean and saying it sucks, then get a life! That's all.

OOOOOOOOO

Followed

Aang parted the bushes and helped Sokka to drag the soldier onto the road where his fellow comrades were waiting.

"We can't thank you enough Avatar. You really got us out of a jam. If there's anything we can do to help you, just say the word." Aang stopped to think.

"If you could just point us in the direction of Omashu, we'll be fine." The soldier smiled and abruptly pointed down the road. "If you keep going down this road, you'll come across a fork in the road. Take the left one and you'll head straight to Omashu."

"Great! Thanks a lot." They waved the soldiers good bye as they carried their injured friend down the road.

"We should go back to camp and sleep," suggested Sokka, "Sleep may come in handy one of these days!" The trio headed back to their campsite and settled down. Katara and Sokka drowned themselves in their fur-lined sleeping bags as Aang nestled into Appa's thick fur. He slowly drifted off into a sleep that was filled with visions of that girl he saw in the swamp.

OOOOOOOOO

Sunlight caressed Katara's cheek as she slowly fluttered her eyes open. She completely forgot to change back into her regular clothes. She was still adorned in traditional Fire Nation garb. She groggily got up and rubbed her sleep-filled eyes. She could hear Sokka's snoring from the other side of camp. Aang didn't snore, but he mumbled and talked in his sleep. She thought it was kinda cute, where as Sokka was just annoying.

"Good morning, it's about time you woke up."

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Katara screamed bloody murder causing Sokka and Aang to wake up with a jump.

"What! What!" Aang yelled, "What's going on!" The trio looked up to find Zuko standing in front of them, arms crossed, head cocked to the side, and a playful smirk across his face.

"Sorry to startle you Zynda. I meant no harm." Then it dawned on Katara. He still had no idea who they really were. She let out a sigh of relief at her realization and hoped that Sokka and Aang would realize it too. She noticed that they were both looking at her. She then got the impression that they knew too.

"Oh, it's okay Prince Zuko. I just had no idea that you'd wake us up so early!" She let out a nervous chuckle. She was scared to say the least. The Fire Nation Prince who had been tracking them down was now right in front of her.

"Shall we be off then?" Zuko held out his head for her to take. She swallowed the lump forming in her throat and took his hand. _His hands are so warm..._ He hoisted her up from the ground where she was laying. He pulled her up so hard that she almost fell forward onto him. She looked up at him with a sheepish grin, not liking the feeling of being so close to the enemy's body. He returned her grin with a broad smile of his own. Her heart melted. _Who knew that Prince Zuko had such a handsome and comforting smile..._

"Ehem!" Sokka coughed. "Let's go." They started to pack up their campsite and belongings, trying desperately to cover up and hide all of the things they thought Zuko might be able to recognize.

"Interesting..." Zuko said with a questioning look on his face. "Where on earth did you three get a flying bison?" They all froze and everything became silent. Aang started to sweat, not knowing how they would get themselves out of this one. Sokka had a horrified look on his face. It was up to Katara to figure out some sort of story. Katara gulped down another lump as her mouth became dry.

"We uh...we uh...STOLE HIM!" She yelled. The sweat on her face was making her hair stick to her forehead.

"Stole him? Where from?"

"Uh...a bald monk, a girl, and a boy! We got their lemur too!"

"Is that so? You three must have run into the Avatar and his friends then. You three must regale me with all the thrilling details." Zuko smirked, knowing full well where they had gotten them and who they were.

OOOOOOOOO

The festival raged outside as Zuko laid Nani down to sleep. He sighed heavily as he watched the small girl rest comfortably on her bed. She was like a daughter to him at times. Visions of her burning village sent shivers down his spine. He looked out the window as new thoughts came into his mind. _Those three were not from the Fire Nation, but who would risk coming to this festival?_ Zuko sat in deep thought as he paced around the room. Then it hit him. Two of them had blue eyes! They were tan too, not tan from the sun, but from birth. Not only that, but their companion was a bald boy...

"The Avatar..." Zuko hissed. "He was right in front of me! He was in my grasp!" He growled ferociously at his epiphany. "I could have had him..."

Iroh opened the door to the small house and walked inside. Zuko was sitting in a chair in the corner with his hand over his eyes.

"You figured out it was the Avatar didn't you?"

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME!" Zuko shouted, fists flaming with a wicked heat.

"I thought it best for you to figure it out for yourself. I can't do everything for you you know." Iroh let out a hearty and playful laugh, as if to mock his nephew's anger. Zuko just grunted and sat back down into his seat.

"Come now Zuko, it isn't that bad. You can still capture him if you want. Pretend that you still don't know who he is, and it'll all fall into place." Zuko stared at his uncle with uncertainty. It wasn't like him to give him such advice. He had always been the one to tell him to stop going after the Avatar. Why would he suddenly change his mind? After some thought, he decided not to read too much into his uncle's actions. He was in fact a strange uncle and rarely ever made sense.

Zuko looked back over to Nani who slept peacefully. _Take care of her Prince Zuko...like a father would a daughter..._

"I'm going to the temple to pray uncle, don't expect me back until later."

OOOOOOOOO

Once their things were packed they headed towards the trail. As they approached the road they could hear whispering and some giggling. The trees parted to reveal the dusty road from the night before. Hinoiri and Karasu were there talking to each other in that strange language from the festival.

"Hinoiri and Karasu will be your escorts along with my good friend Kazem." A dark-skinned boy no older than Zuko stepped forward and bowed. His long black hair was tied in a low ponytail that blew in the breeze. A katana was at his side giving a strange contrast to his friendly smile.

"I thought you were going to escort us." Aang replied.

"I'm sorry, but I forgot that I can't, I have important things to do. Now that the Avatar doesn't have a flying bison or lemur, it should be easier to catch him. Good day." Zuko bowed and turned quickly. Just as he was about to disappear into the forest, Katara called out for him.

"Prince Zuko, wait!" He turned around to face her. His golden eyes locked with her cerulean ones. He found himself in a trance.

"Please escort us, you were the one who offered in the first place." Zuko looked at her pleading face and gave in.

"Fine, but I need to get something first if I am to come." He turned around once more and left.

"He just went to go get Nani." Hinoiri replied. "He can't very well leave her by herself now can he?" She smiled brightly and linked arms with Kazem. He was used to the gesture and smiled in return.

"Would you two cut that out?" Karasu complained. "Just because you're getting married, doesn't mean the whole world has to know."

"You're getting married!" Katara cried out. "That's so romantic!" She sighed deeply hoping that one day she too could find true love. Hinoiri giggled at her approval. She knew she was from the Water Tribes, Zuko had told her that, but she was very different from what she had expected.

"Takoshi ni wa!" Nani cried as Zuko tossed her up into the air.

"Oh, you're back. You ready to go?" Karasu asked.

"Yes, we're ready." Zuko replied, resting Nani on his hip.

Everyone sort of split off into group's based on walking speed as they made their way down the road. Zuko and Nani took the lead, followed by Aang, Sokka, and Kazem, with Katara, Hinoiri, and Karasu trailing behind. Katara felt awkward walking with two complete strangers and avoided their gaze as best she could.

"So, which relatives are you three visiting?" Katara looked over to Hinoiri who smiled at her with a patient and motherly look on her face.

"We're visiting my aunt and uncle. They live not too far from Omashu." Hinoiri just smiled broader and replied with a "that's nice". Katara decided that the silence was really dull, so she picked a conversation topic she knew the two girls would enjoy.

"Are you two good friends of Zuko?" They looked at each other, then back at her and laughed.

"Yes, we've all been friends since childhood you know. Kazem included." Hinoiri laughed harder than she did before, unseen memories of her friends flooding her mind.

"We met Zuko when we were just 5 years old." Karasu stated. "I accidentally bumped into him at a market place and knocked him down. He fell so hard that he scrapped his knee on the ground. I thought for sure that his body guards were going to kill me. He just laughed though, he thought it was some kind of joke. He told the guards to leave us alone. Then he asked us our names. The rest is history."

"He has a scar on his knee from when he fell still." Hinoiri pointed out. "He says it reminds him of us!" They both started laughing.

Katara just smiled and looked up ahead at where Zuko and Nani were walking. They were giggling and speaking in their native tongue. Zuko was smiling so brightly that it almost put Nani's adorable smile to shame.

"What relation is Nani to Zuko?" Katara asked, wanting to know more.

"Nani? Well she isn't really related to him at all. Blood-wise. He is like a father to her though, or a big brother. He was on his way to our village a few months ago. There is another village on the way that he usually stops at. Only last time, when he came to the village, it was completely burned down. He searched through the rubble for any survivors. He only found Nani and her parents. They were barely alive. They told Zuko to take care of her like his own. They didn't make it. They died before they reached our village. Nani is the only survivor.

Katara was in shock. She thought of those poor villagers. How dare the Fire Nation do such a thing to those poor, innocent lives!

"Who burned the village?"

"Princess Azula...who else?" Karazu said coldly. Katara could feel some tension in the air. Azula had obviously had some history with these friends of Zuko's. The usually calm-faced Hinoiri and Karasu now had scowls on their faces at the mere mention of her name.

"What nation was the village from?"

"Fire Nation of course! Azula has been burning down all of our villages since Zuko and Iroh were banished. Ours is one of the only villages left that hasn't been destroyed or forced into slavery."

Katara didn't understand what she was hearing. Azula was burning down Fire Nation villages? That makes not sense! Why would she burn down the villages of her own people? Katara must have had a strange look on her face because Hinoiri shook her shoulder slightly.

"Hey? You okay? You have a funny look on your face."

"I'm okay. Don't worry about it." Katara hadn't realized that everyone had stopped walking and she bumped into Zuko.

"Whoops...sorry Zynda." Zuko said, scratching the back of his head like a child. It made Katara laugh in a way, at how immature he seemed sometimes. Then their eyes locked again. Her concentration drifted over to his scared eye.

"Is something wrong?" Katara suddenly realized that she had been staring at him. A blush crept its way into her cheeks as she swallowed and looked at her feet. _What's wrong with me! Why can't I look at him!_

"Ummm...nothing's wrong! I'm fine!"

"You sure? You don't sound fine."

"No really, I'm okay." Katara went and abruptly sat down next to Sokka who gave her a questioning look. She noticed that Aang was also giving her a questioning stare. She payed them no heed and just stared at the ground.

As they all rested, Zuko and Nani started to play a game. They were wrestling and tumbling together. Laughter filled the air as Zuko tickled her senseless. He couldn't help but smile. Then Nani jumped up and wrapped her small arms around his neck in a hug. Even though Zuko was kneeling, she still had to stand on her tippy-toes to reach him. Katara's heart fluttered at the sight. She had never imagined Zuko to be so good with children. They were adorable together. She had also never imagined Zuko to have compassion. When she thought about it, she realized that not only was he being kind to her, but he had friends, family, and a village. He cared about a lot of people and they cared about him. Why was it that she never noticed it before? She watched carefully as he twirled a lock of Nani's hair around his finger. She yawned and stretched her arms up high in the air like a bird ready to take flight.

They got up a few minutes later and resumed their walking. This time, she wanted to walk with Zuko himself. If he could make friends with Hinoiri and Karasu, why couldn't she? Maybe if she befriended him, he would stop chasing Aang all over creation. She jogged slightly to catch up to him. Nani was now scooped up into the arms of Karasu. As she started to walk next to Zuko, Sokka gave her a glare letting her know that he didn't approve. But who cared what he thought. If she had to bring Zuko out of his shell and befriend him in order to help Aang, then so be it!

OOOOOOOOO

There it is! Chapter fin. READ AND REVIEW! COME ON PEOPLE! I KNOW YOU'RE READING IT! WHY AREN'T YOU ALL REVIEWING TOO!

Let me know about Taang in the future...and also whether or not I should get rid of the made up characters...up to you guys.


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